Political Crossfire Forums

[Lucky Luke]

He thinks it is all over, I agree.

Quote: Portillo: England ‘no longer needs’ Scotland

June 19 2006

THE English have no more need of Scotland or its oil wealth, and should stop letting Scotland "extort" money, says a leading Conservative.
Michael Portillo, who ran for the Tory leadership in 2001, left parliament last year and is now a journalist, which gives him licence to say the unsayable within Tory ranks.
In a newspaper column yesterday, Mr Portillo, a former defence secretary, said the English used to fear becoming economically inferior to Germany and France and worried about what would happen if they lost part of the UK's population and North Sea oil revenue.
Tory interests would be better served by splitting England from Scotland, now that Britain is growing more strongly than its large continental rivals, he argued.
"The loss of one-twelfth of our population in a region that drags down our national performance could not harm us. Our hydrocarbons are less of an issue now that they are being exhausted." He added it would be good for Scotland to be separate. "It is a pensioner economy existing on English handouts and consequently its politicians implement centralising policies of a kind abandoned in the former Soviet satellite states," he wrote.
............
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/64297.html

Last night Portillo confirmed on TV that he did not want a Scottish MP as PM, he had the cheek to add that with an English constituency a Scottish MP could! Was he thinking of gorgeous George!

Andrew Neil had to ask Portillo to repeat that Portillo wanted the Union to be broken and Portillo did! I thought Neil was going to fall off his chair.

:-D
:-D

[Ssushi]

WOW! It's great to have significant observers pushing these issues. I'd like it to become a more prominent debate within the country. Scots seem to hate our guts on the whole, so maybe they can fend for themselves...

I seriously doubt that it'll happen though, same with NI. The union jack is a global symbol worth $$$$, break the union; break the jack...

[thundertaker]

If this happens I will seriously consider emmigrating. What's the point in being the citizen of a country that has lost the will to live?

[Ssushi]

thundertaker wrote: If this happens I will seriously consider emmigrating. What's the point in being the citizen of a country that has lost the will to live?

The country lost that a long long time ago Thunder... I left - life is soo much better!

[cap'n queasy]

It's all the EU now anyway.

There is no real England or Scotland any more. They are both provinces now.

[Ssushi]

cap'n queasy wrote: It's all the EU now anyway.

There is no real England or Scotland any more. They are both provinces now.

I see you've been reading up on foreign affairs Captain... When you move on past the Ladybird Guide, you might make sense of how the EU works... :lol:

[bob.appleyard]

cap'n queasy wrote: It's all the EU now anyway.

There is no real England or Scotland any more. They are both provinces now.

EU integration has thus far been something of a ruse to take power away from Parliament and hand it to Whitehall. When treaties have to be OK'd by Parliament, then I might support it.

[bob.appleyard]

thundertaker wrote: If this happens I will seriously consider emmigrating. What's the point in being the citizen of a country that has lost the will to live?

With you on this. Would be hard to leave my home that I love though.

[Lucky Luke]

Ssushi wrote: WOW! It's great to have significant observers pushing these issues. I'd like it to become a more prominent debate within the country. Scots seem to hate our guts on the whole, so maybe they can fend for themselves...

I seriously doubt that it'll happen though, same with NI. The union jack is a global symbol worth $$$$, break the union; break the jack...

Are you ready to lie like the Labour government in London lied in the 70's to keep the Scottish oil making profit to London for another 30 years?

The UK is worth a lot to the UK, however Scotland is worth a lot to Scotland.

Now that the Spaniard of Portillo is telling us that the only reason Scotland was in the UK was for England to be stronger than Germany or France, independence is what we will have and England can keep its delusions of grandeur.
:-D
:-D

[Lucky Luke]

bob.appleyard wrote: thundertaker wrote: If this happens I will seriously consider emmigrating. What's the point in being the citizen of a country that has lost the will to live?

With you on this. Would be hard to leave my home that I love though.

Why leaving? England is a proud and rich nation, you are always welcome up north we have acres of space.

:-D
:-D

[bob.appleyard]

Lucky Luke wrote: Why leaving? England is a proud and rich nation, you are always welcome up north we have acres of space.

I often have trouble getting my head round Yorkshire being "down south."

[Ssushi]

Lucky Luke wrote: Ssushi wrote: WOW! It's great to have significant observers pushing these issues. I'd like it to become a more prominent debate within the country. Scots seem to hate our guts on the whole, so maybe they can fend for themselves...

I seriously doubt that it'll happen though, same with NI. The union jack is a global symbol worth $$$$, break the union; break the jack...

Are you ready to lie like the Labour government in London lied in the 70's to keep the Scottish oil making profit to London for another 30 years?

The UK is worth a lot to the UK, however Scotland is worth a lot to Scotland.

Now that the Spaniard of Portillo is telling us that the only reason Scotland was in the UK was for England to be stronger than Germany or France, independence is what we will have and England can keep its delusions of grandeur.
:-D
:-D

I'm not defending keeping the union LL, I'm just saying that the union jack is probably the main reason that it'll be hard for t he union to break - Her Maj would not be pleased and she pulls a lot of weight in these matters...

[Lucky Luke]

bob.appleyard wrote: Lucky Luke wrote: Why leaving? England is a proud and rich nation, you are always welcome up north we have acres of space.

I often have trouble getting my head round Yorkshire being "down south."

It proves that England in your mind already is your one and only country Bob, the UK was only an illusion.

:-D
:-D

[Lucky Luke]

Ssushi wrote:

I'm not defending keeping the union LL, I'm just saying that the union jack is probably the main reason that it'll be hard for t he union to break - Her Maj would not be pleased and she pulls a lot of weight in these matters...

Except for a few football supporters nobody cares about the Union Jack up here, same for the queen and some anthem to save her.

:-D
:-D

[bob.appleyard]

Lucky Luke wrote: bob.appleyard wrote: Lucky Luke wrote: Why leaving? England is a proud and rich nation, you are always welcome up north we have acres of space.

I often have trouble getting my head round Yorkshire being "down south."

It proves that England in your mind already is your one and only country Bob, the UK was only an illusion.

Eh? I think of it being more in the middle. Anyway, I'm usually talking to Londoners or southerners... It's all relative.

[thundertaker]

Lucky Luke wrote: bob.appleyard wrote: thundertaker wrote: If this happens I will seriously consider emmigrating. What's the point in being the citizen of a country that has lost the will to live?

With you on this. Would be hard to leave my home that I love though.

Why leaving? England is a proud and rich nation, you are always welcome up north we have acres of space.

:-D
:-D

And live in a leftist hell-hole like Scotland? If Scotland were ever divorced from the Union, and I moved up there, I'd end up having to pay most of what I earned to the government to make up for the lack of English subsidies in order to keep Scots in the socialist lifestyle to which they are accustomed. No thanks.......

[DSwain]

Lucky Luke wrote: He thinks it is all over, I agree.

Quote: Portillo: England ‘no longer needs’ Scotland

June 19 2006

THE English have no more need of Scotland or its oil wealth, and should stop letting Scotland "extort" money, says a leading Conservative.
Michael Portillo, who ran for the Tory leadership in 2001, left parliament last year and is now a journalist, which gives him licence to say the unsayable within Tory ranks.
In a newspaper column yesterday, Mr Portillo, a former defence secretary, said the English used to fear becoming economically inferior to Germany and France and worried about what would happen if they lost part of the UK's population and North Sea oil revenue.
Tory interests would be better served by splitting England from Scotland, now that Britain is growing more strongly than its large continental rivals, he argued.
"The loss of one-twelfth of our population in a region that drags down our national performance could not harm us. Our hydrocarbons are less of an issue now that they are being exhausted." He added it would be good for Scotland to be separate. "It is a pensioner economy existing on English handouts and consequently its politicians implement centralising policies of a kind abandoned in the former Soviet satellite states," he wrote.
............
http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/64297.html

Last night Portillo confirmed on TV that he did not want a Scottish MP as PM, he had the cheek to add that with an English constituency a Scottish MP could! Was he thinking of gorgeous George!

Andrew Neil had to ask Portillo to repeat that Portillo wanted the Union to be broken and Portillo did! I thought Neil was going to fall off his chair.

:-D
:-D

Let's see if I get this straight - a private citizen who is a guest on a niche late night politics show says he thinks the Union may be over and you're breaking out the champers, Luke? Get some perspective, man. Portaloo's voice carries as much weight as yours or mine; he has no constituency in any sense of the word, many Conservatives still despise him while the public at large remember him for having Xavier as his middle name or for pulling 'that face'.

BTW - if 'Catboy' ever got his nose near the trough of government, I'd leave this country quicker than you could say "Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability."

[Lord Hargreaves]

Sheesh, Michael Portillo has fallen well off the deep end. His column for the Times has become increasingly insane as of late, advocating David Cameron sack the entire shadow cabinet, actively calling for Tory bloodshed and for the new leader to denounce everything conservative. But this takes the cake - our precious Union undermined for the most asinine and petty reasons. Sure it pains me to see England have to put up with the third world economy above its border, but we can get around a lot of that problem by proper devolution.

[DSwain]

Lord Hargreaves wrote: Sheesh, Michael Portillo has fallen well off the deep end. His column for the Times has become increasingly insane as of late, advocating David Cameron sack the entire shadow cabinet, actively calling for Tory bloodshed and for the new leader to denounce everything conservative. But this takes the cake - our precious Union undermined for the most asinine and petty reasons. Sure it pains me to see England have to put up with the third world economy above its border, but we can get around a lot of that problem by proper devolution.

Portaloo is like the Central Casting homicidal loon in a teen slasher movie - the b*stard just won't stay dead. I think he's got his eyes on the prize - Portillo for Prime Minister, 2013. Impossible, but a man can dream.....

[Lucky Luke]

thundertaker wrote: Lucky Luke wrote: bob.appleyard wrote: thundertaker wrote: If this happens I will seriously consider emmigrating. What's the point in being the citizen of a country that has lost the will to live?

With you on this. Would be hard to leave my home that I love though.

Why leaving? England is a proud and rich nation, you are always welcome up north we have acres of space.

:-D
:-D

And live in a leftist hell-hole like Scotland? If Scotland were ever divorced from the Union, and I moved up there, I'd end up having to pay most of what I earned to the government to make up for the lack of English subsidies in order to keep Scots in the socialist lifestyle to which they are accustomed. No thanks.......

You are very welcome to follow Portillo's agenda Thundertaker. At least he has been honest enough about why the Union was formed and kept for so long, to make England great.

:-D
:-D